


Begging for Recognition

by Control_Room



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Crying, Gen, Hugs, Interrogation, Light Angst, Making Up, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, The Future, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27333781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Control_Room/pseuds/Control_Room
Summary: What happened after Lewis fell to his knees.
Relationships: Arthur & Lewis & Vivi (Mystery Skulls Animated), Arthur & Lewis (Mystery Skulls Animated), Unrequited Arthur/Lewis - Relationship
Comments: 5
Kudos: 161





	Begging for Recognition

Lewis snatched his locket, his heart, his drive, out of Arthur’s hands. 

“Mine.” He snarled at him, holding it out of arm’s reach. Arthur shook like he had been shocked by a downed electrical wire, too afraid of his friend to even nod. 

Was he afraid of him, or afraid of what he saw?

Lewis turned away from him to examine the picture to double check. His true heart was only starting to form, he noticed with relief. Arthur probably only saw the one with himself and Vivi. Not this one. His own wink flashed at him, and he almost dropped it. 

Was he coming… back?

His eyes winked at him again, over and over. 

He was coming back, but he was still dead. No amount of revenge would bring him back to life, remembered or not.

Lewis realized he would always be a ghost, now. There was no turning back for him, no matter if he freaked out, it would always have the same outcome. He lost his mind over it before, hellbent on revenge, every note of his footfalls another nail in Arthur’s glass coffin. 

Tar and brimstone burned at his eyes, down his cheekbones. 

He sank to the floor, thudding on knees that barely felt a thing, hunching over his heart, hands shaking as he held the locket tenderly.

A hand touched his shoulder.

Lewis whipped around and grabbed that hand back, Arthur hissing in pain as the ghostly gloves cinched around his natural wrist. 

“I’m sorry,” he gasped, face screwing and eyes tearing up in both pain and regret. “Lewis, I’m sorry.”

He did not let go. He pulled him closer and studied Arthur, gripping a little tighter. The smaller man whined as he turned his wrist.

“Why did you do it?”

“Do wh--” Realization crossed his face, “I promise, I didn’t,” Arthur crossed his heart with his mechanical hand. “I swear it.”

“ _ Why did you do it?!” _ Lewis demanded in a roar, his face flashing once, twice, forcing another gasp from Arthur as he yanked his arm. “Tell me why you fucking killed me, Arthur!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t!” Arthur sobbed, struggling to keep his eyes open. “Lewis, I’m sorry, I- it made me!”

Lewis eased his hold on Arthur’s arm.

“What made you?”

“I dunno, it was all green and it grabbed me,” he sobbed again, a long shuddering inhale. “It grabbed me inside, grabbed my heart and I couldn’t stop it and it pushed you.”

Lewis stared at him.

He was crying.

“I’m sorry, Lewis. I wasn’t strong enough. I missed you.”

He did not let him go, and Arthur found himself pressed to a suit, chin over Lewis’ shoulder.

Oh, hell.

His face tightened, eyes watering, and he wrapped his arms around him back, hugging him softly.

Arthur missed this.

He missed Lewis.

He had missed him even before he died.

A quiet moan slipped from his mouth, brow arching in agony and missed opportunities and finality. 

Lewis responded with a hum.

“I missed you,” Arthur repeated, the last word going on in a whisper. Lewis pulled him closer, Arthur’s toes coming off the ground. Arthur felt the strange sensation of Lewis’ spirit as he turned his head to gruffly mutter in his ear; “I missed you, too. Even though I tried to kill you for killing me.”

“You deserved to,” Arthur told him. “Deserved to try to kill me, that is.”

Lewis snorted, squeezing Arthur in his arms a little tighter.

“Did I?”

“Yeah, I mean, I killed you, didn’t I?”

“Hm. Debatable. We’ll figure that out later.”

Arthur smiled a little, and settled closer into Lewis’ hug, arms barely reaching around his broad chest.

Lewis absentmindedly rubbed Arthur’s back. A shout froze them and they both looked out of the truck, Arthur pulling back but still held up by Lewis. 

“Vivi needs us,” Arthur said, eyes wide. Lewis nodded, but did not put him down immediately. Arthur did not speak for a moment, turning a little pink. “Um, Lewis?”

“Yes, Arthur, we’re going to help Vivi, I just need to scope the area.”

“It’s not about that, it’s, um,” Arthur glanced away. “Your hand is on my butt.”

Lewis dropped him. 

“Oh my god I’m so sorry-”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Arthur tried to assure him with a wobbly smile as he rubbed his backbone. “Come on, we need to go help Vivi now.”

Lewis smiled back (best a skull could) and helped him up. He gave him his uncle to carry, and they walked out together.

“You get your uncle to safety, I’ll help with Vi,” Lewis instructed him. Arthur nodded, and took off. Lewis watched him run, the speed at which his legs moved and the agility and strengthened he exhibited to protect his downed relative, the curve of his pants as he dashed. 

He snapped out of his stare, glad that his blush would be invisible on his pink scheme and undead face. He gathered his strength to fight against the plant woman who had stalked them, and harnessed it to burn her vines, trying to distract her to protect Vivi.

Then the ice, the power and rage the body held as Vivi sent it forward, it slammed them both far away, Lewis pushed against the truck, Arthur ducking and covering as he rolled outside of the repair shop.

Arthur screamed, unheard in the ringing ears of the other three, though Mystery’s ears twitched, guilt itching his soul. He would never forget Arthur’s scream.

It was green and pink.

His head thundered.

His arm screamed in pain, shocking up along his body, again and again, and he thought that once it bitten off by Mystery he would have been freed, but no, his arm writhed, reached for his throat, reached, reaching for… a heart. 

Lewis opened his eyes. 

He rushed to Vivi, gathering her in his arms. Her eyes shone. Arthur appeared beside them, trying to tell them about his spasming arm.

They had bigger problems.

Mystery.


End file.
